Hail to all of the chiefs

Every February, the nation celebrates President’s Day. February is the month that our first president, George Washington, was born.

We purposefully ignore William Henry Harrison. Even though he was born in February, he served about as long as February. Cold and wet days don’t normally kill people, but William Henry Harrison was also the oldest president and, apparently, old people should not give the longest inaugural address ever on cold and wet days.

Since then, Harrison has lost his record as the oldest president. That honor goes to another individual born in February, Ronald Reagan. Reagam was born in the state of Illinois.

Illinois claims another president, Abraham Lincoln, who was also born in February. Ergo, President’s Day is celebrated in February because it is the month that two significant presidents, Lincoln and Washington, were born.

Among the millions who have called themselves Americans, only 43 people have had the rare privilege and awesome responsibility to be president, and the nation’s commander in chief.

And since it is part of the American spirit to be competitive, one of the irresistible tendencies among historians is to rate the presidents. It isn’t enough to be one of the 43 elite. For those who make it their living to tell the story of America, ranking our 43 leaders is sport, like a preseason basketball poll.

It’s folly. Wartime presidents are viewed as great leaders. Others whose terms in office were less turbulent are viewed as something less than great. Who was greater, John Kennedy whose rhetoric inspired us, or Lyndon Johnson, who pushed through into law much of what Kennedy aspired to?

A recent study by U.S. News and World Report put Theodore Roosevelt ahead of both Lincoln and Washington. Thomas Jefferson, probably the greatest mind to ever run the country, placed fifth. How can one judge the presidency of George W. Bush so soon? Was it really the fifth worst?

Some brought greatness to the office. For others, greatness was thrust upon them. Two survived impeachment. Only one left the office in shame, but even Richard Nixon has his advocates.

They take an oath to carry out the duties to “the best of their abilities,” and as individuals, the skills and abilities inevitably vary.

What the nation can celebrate today, however, is unique. For 238-plus years, these 43 men, and surely at some point a woman will join their ranks, represent the rule of law; the rule of the people. They did their best, served their terms under the law and then peacefully surrendered their reign to their publicly elected successors. No other country has done this for so long a time.

So today, we celebrate these special 43 individuals. But even more so, we celebrate the notion that the office is greater than any of the great men who held it; and the notion that the president, whoever that might be, is nothing more than a servant of the people who did the electing.

The editorials in this column represent the opinions of The News-Star’s editorial board, composed of General Manager and Executive Editor Kathy Spurlock, Business and Politics Reporter Greg Hilburn and Education Reporter Barbara Leader.